Winter Isn't Always Cold
by WillowSakura
Summary: Madeline loves her dad, but he would never tell her what he did for a living. Until she turned eighteen and he finally showed her how he "keeps the world in order". Now, she works with him. But no one could have predicted that she would become so...attached to her work. She may be the boss' daughter, but it doesn't mean she's off limits.
1. Chapter 1

For as long as Madeline could remember, her dad was extremely secretive about his work. She remembered when she was a little girl, running to hug her dad when he came through the front door. She'd ask him if he had a good day and if he did anything special.

 _"I help keep the world in order."_ Was all he would tell her. Being so young, she had no idea what he was talking about. She'd ask what he meant and he would always tell her; _"When you're older, you'll understand. When you're older, I'll show you."_

Now, Madeline had just turned eighteen and she still didn't know what her father did for a living. Eventually, she just figured that he worked for the government. CIA most likely, considering how secretive he was. Nevertheless, she still wanted to know for sure.

Her father had an office that he kept locked at all times. Even when he was inside, no one was allowed in. Not even the maid. Madeline was determined to find out what her father was hiding. Even if it meant breaking in...and possibly getting caught.

"Maddie!" He called out from the first floor. Madeline headed down the stairs and wandered into the kitchen. Her father was grabbing his coat off the back of a dining chair.

"What's up, dad?" She asked.

"Something came up at work and I have to leave for a little bit. Will you be alright by yourself?" He asked as he slipped into his coat. Madeline shrugged.

"Sure, I guess. It's no different than all the other times..." She looked away and sighed. She felt her father's hands on her shoulders.

"You'll find out soon, honey. I promise." He assured her. Madeline turned back to face him again. "As soon as this...stuff gets taken care of, I'll take you with me." Madeline smiled weakly and nodded. "Good girl." He kissed her head and headed towards the door.

"Love you, dad." She called after him. He turned around to face her.

"Love you too, Maddie-bear." He replied. Madeline snickered softly. That never failed to make her smile. Her father turned on his heel and headed out, closing the door behind him. It locked automatically and Madeline made her way back upstairs.

At the top, she looked down the hallway to the door at the end; her father's office. She knew he had the only key and kept it with him at all times. But this was modern times and everyone had access to the internet. Which meant that she could very easily enter the search term "how to pick locks".

So, that's what she did. Madeline went into her bathroom and grabbed several bobby pins from the drawer. She headed back towards the door and knelt in front of it. It looked pretty simple in the movies and the internet proved...somewhat helpful.

It took her several tries, and five pins, before she finally heard the _CLICK!_ of the door unlocking. Her heart thumped in her chest as she pulled the pin out of the lock and put all the extra ones into her pocket. She turned the handle and opened the door.

Madeline flipped the light switch and the room was flooded with light. There were dark colored curtains drawn shut over each window. The room was...surprisingly bare. The only furniture was a beautiful wooden desk with a chair sitting in front of it. There were no filing cabinets, no bookshelves... Madeline furrowed her brows as she stepped into the room.

She pursed her lips and made her way around the desk. There were several drawers. Surprisingly, none of which were locked. Madeline pulled open the middle drawer at the center of the desk. There was a lone folder inside. She sat down in the chair and placed the folder on the surface of the desk. Something told her this was an important folder. The way it was right in the center of the desk for easy access and nothing else was with it.

Madeline opened the folder and saw numerous papers. She tried to read some of them, but didn't understand most of the scientific jargon scribbled down. A few pages in, she saw her dad's signature at the bottom of the page. Curious, she read the document from the top.

Again, she didn't understand a lot of the wording. But the few words she did understand caused her to seriously wonder what exactly her father did for a living. _Target eliminated... no collateral damage... unknown subject interfered... neutralization unsuccessful... identity still unknown... asset placed in containment..._

"What the hell is all this?" Madeline flipped through the document until she came across a strange picture. "Dad...what do you _do_ for a living...?" She picked up the picture and held it as she tried to make sense of what she was looking at.

The picture seemed kind of old. The corners were worn and rounded and the picture itself seemed somewhat faded. But it was still visible. There was a man who looked like he was trapped in some kind of metal tube. The picture was of him...sleeping? But...were those ice crystals in his hair? Was this man... _frozen_?

"You inherited your mother's curiosity, I see." Madeline jerked her head up and dropped the picture on the desk.

"Dad! I..." She stood up from the chair and stammered. Her father just stood in the doorway with his hands behind his back. "I...I'm sorry. I just..." She tripped over her words, trying to talk her way out of trouble.

"I'm not mad, Maddie." He held his hand up to silence her. "I knew I couldn't keep you in the dark forever. You're my daughter. You're resourceful. I knew you'd probably figure out a way to get in here sooner or later." He couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips.

"You're...not mad?" She asked nervously. Her father shook his head.

"No. If anything, I think you've proved that you're quite ready to see what I do for a living now." He informed her. Madeline opened her mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say. "I was hoping to introduce you to my work when it's less...chaotic," he began, "but it might be good for you."

"Will...I have to do anything? Or am I just observing?" She asked.

"Just observing, this time." Her dad replied. "Next time, I'll have you shadowing the medical team. I know how much you enjoy learning about those kinds of things." Madeline smiled slightly and nodded. "Alright. Get your shoes on and let's go." He instructed her.

"Wh...We're going _now_?" She looked at her father with wide eyes. He merely nodded.

"I'll wait for you in the car. No more than ten minutes." He said. That was something she didn't like too much, but had grown accustomed to. Her grandfather - her father's father - was a military man and passed that on to her dad. Madeline never gave much thought about serving, but she respected those who did. She didn't think she was cut out for it, though. She didn't care much for how strict they were.

"I'll be quick." She replied. He nodded and headed downstairs. Madeline left the office and turned the light off. She made her way to her bedroom and slipped her sneakers on. Then, she grabbed a hair tie from her dresser and pulled her brown hair into a messy bun before heading down the stairs. She grabbed her house key off the entry table and locked the door.

Outside, the sun hadn't set completely and the horizon was streaked with oranges and reds. She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp end-of-spring-beginning-of-summer air. In her stomach, she felt a flutter of nervousness mixed with excitement as she rounded her father's car and hopped into the passenger seat.

"Hey dad?" Madeline asked after they had been in the car for a few minutes.

"Yeah?" He didn't take his eyes off the road.

"Who was that guy? The guy in the picture?"

"A very important part of my job." He replied. Madeline frowned.

"Doesn't he have a name? Or a family?" She prodded. Her father turned down dark back road.

"We're like his family. My co-workers and I." He said. It didn't exactly answer Madeline's question and she felt like he was trying to avoid giving her a straight reply. She sighed inwardly, but didn't push the issue.

 _I guess I can't know everything right off the bat..._ Madeline looked out the window as her father drove down the dark and bumpy road. There was nothing but a big empty field on either side of her. No streetlights...She couldn't even see any houses.

"Where are we going?" She asked nervously.

"Safe house." Madeline pulled out her cell phone to check the time. It was just after nine and she noticed she barely had a signal. She chewed on her lower lip and looked up to see a large house looming in the distance.

"Whoa..." She muttered under her breath. _House? More like a mansion!_ The safe house seemed to tower much higher than a normal house. From the look of it, there seemed to be four or five floors. "Do people _live_ here, or something?" She asked.

"Only staff that need to remain on site." Her dad said as he pulled into the driveway. Madeline didn't see any other cars, but there was a three car garage that was closed up. There very well could have been several people already waiting inside for them.

Madeline and her father got out of the car and headed up the sidewalk to the porch. Her father reached into his pocket and pulled out an ID card that he swiped over the lock on the door. She heard several locks opening from the other side of the door before it finally opened. He motioned for her to enter first, and Madeline took a few hesitant steps through the doorway.

"Unauthorized person has entered the premises. Security personnel have been notified." An automated female voice said from somewhere. Madeline looked around and noticed a few speakers mounted to the entryway walls.

"Security override. Clearance code AP one-one-zero-four-two." Her father spoke up as he stepped inside. The door shut automatically behind them. Madeline looked around and saw that most of the rooms were empty. The windows had several bars welded against them. She wondered what kind of things went on here.

"Welcome, Alexander Pierce." The AI greeted her father. A few moments later, a tall dark haired man walked down the hallway towards them. He eyed Madeline warily and she swallowed nervously.

"Sir," he stopped in front of her father, "we expected you a little sooner."

"I understand." He replied. "Had something I needed to take care of. This is my daughter, Madeline. She'll be working with us soon." He introduced her and she smiled at the man. He just seemed to stare at her. She was slightly uncomfortable, but did her best to ignore it.

"Hello." She said softly.

"Maddie, this is Brock Rumlow." Madeline held her hand out and Brock gripped it firmly as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you." She said politely. The corners of his lips twitched into a smile.

"Likewise." He replied before releasing her hand. "We should head downstairs, Sir." The two men headed down the hallway, and Madeline trailed behind them. The hallway led them into a kitchen that had a table and a few chairs around it. Brock led them through the kitchen and down a very short hallway that had one door at the end. He opened it and led Madeline and her father down a set of stairs into the basement.

The basement looked like a jail. There was a fairly large hallway that Brock led them down that had a few rooms on each side. There looked to be ten rooms total, five on each side. All the doors were opened, but she could see they were solid metal with a slot to see through at eye level.

At the end of the hall, there was a huge room that had no door. It was just the end of the hall. She could see other people in the room. They were walking back and forth. Some had white coats on; lab coats. Probably the medical team that she would be shadowing.

The three of them walked into the open area and Madeline looked around nervously. Her father walked over to a small group of the medical personnel and began talking with them about something. They all seemed to be gathered around...something. Madeline started to make her way over to them, but she felt a hand on her arm. She turned around and saw Brock behind her.

"Madeline, is it?" He asked her. She nodded, trying to nonchalantly slip out of his grasp. "I look forward to working with you. Seeing what you can do." She watched his eyes roam over her, as if he was checking her out. It made her slightly uncomfortable. He let go of her arm and smiled at her.

"She needs to be taken out, and he's the one for the job." Someone from the group her father was talking to said. Madeline turned her attention to them.

"Then let him do it. What's the problem?" Her father asked.

"Nothing...Nothing at all."

"Then you called me all the way out here for nothing?" Madeline could hear the agitation in his voice.

"No! No." The person reassured him. "He's just...remembering things. We can't figure out why, but - "

"Then fix it. You know how. I'm not your babysitter." Her father snapped. Madeline couldn't remember seeing him like that before. The group dispersed and her father followed one of the men to a computer. It was then she could see what they were all gathered around. Or rather, _who_ they were gathered around.

It was the man from the photo.


	2. Chapter 2

Madeline couldn't tear her eyes away from the man. His upper torso was bare and displayed several lacerations. From what she could see, they were merely superficial. However, they still looked like they might be hurting. His expression was...blank; stoic. His eyes held no emotion in them. It was as if he was just an empty shell of a human being.

Her eyes fixated on the metal that attached to his body where his arm should have been. Even from her position a few feet away, she could see the scars of where the metal was fused with his skin.

"See something you like?" Brock smirked at her when he noticed her staring at him silently. Madeline blinked a few times and turned her attention to him.

"N-No, I - " She shook her head, trying to figure out how to respond. "I...saw - "

"Rumlow!" Madeline jumped at the sudden loud voice that called out. She looked to see another man dressed in similar combat gear on the other side of the room, waving Brock over to him. She turned back to him and he smiled at her.

"Duty calls, Madeline..." He said as he walked away. Madeline could have sworn he winked at her... Either way, she shrugged it off and walked over to her dad.

"...re-calibrate it, and then - " The man at the computer was saying before Madeline's father interrupted him.

"Set it to max. Start over." He instructed. The man looked at him with some surprise. "What are you waiting for?" He asked. The man shook his head and set to work adjusting some settings on the monitor in from of him.

"Dad?" Madeline asked softly. Her father turned to face her and a smile spread across his lips.

"Madeline. What do you think?" He asked as he guided her away from the machines. She looked around.

"I...I don't know." She admitted. "It's a little...overwhelming, to be honest." Her father chuckled softly and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You'll get used to it. I promise." He assured her. Madeline smiled slightly at him before casting her gaze towards the man with the metal arm. After staring at him for some time, she looked at her father.

"Is he...the man from the photo in folder?" She asked quietly. Her father nodded slowly. "What are you doing to him?"

"Don't worry. He's fine." He replied, skirting around Madeline's question. "Soon, it'll be your job to help keep him in...working condition."

"Working condition?" She asked curiously.

"Sir? We're ready." The man at the computer announced. Madeline furrowed her eyebrows as her gaze shifted from the man in the chair to the group of people in white lab coats. Her father nodded and the man tapped a few buttons on the screen.

Madeline watched as thick metal bracers wrapped around the man's arms and restrained him to the chair. His hands clenched into fists as the chair leaned back. The man's chest was heaving up and down as he breathed heavily. Some kind of contraption moved towards his head and crackled with electricity. It moved closer until it touched him, making him yell loudly despite the sound being slightly muffled from something.

"Oh god!" Madeline gasped in shock and covered her mouth with one hand. The poor man didn't even squirm as the device tortured him. He just...yelled and groaned. Madeline stepped backwards, behind the other people in lab coats. She stood there for a few moments, her mind reeling before she headed back down the hallway. She ducked into one of the rooms and closed the door to drown out the sound.

The room looked like some kind of holding cell. There was a metal bed frame with a single mattress on it in the far corner. Opposite the wall where the bed was, there was another chair similar to the one in the main room. On the wall across from the door, there were strange divots that Madeline had no idea what they could be used for.

"Holy crap... Holy crap!" Madeline sat on the edge of the bed and rested her head in her hands. She stared down at the concrete floor and rubbed her temples. She could faintly hear the muffled yelling of the poor man being tortured.

"You get used to it after a while." A voice suddenly spoke up, causing Madeline to jerk her head up in fright. She held her hand on her chest as she stared at the man.

"Yeah? I don't see how that's possible." She shook her head. "Are you following me, Brock?" Madeline glared at the taller man as he stood in the doorway. He chuckled softly and smiled at her.

"You're the boss' daughter. Gotta make sure nothing happens to you." He explained. Though Madeline felt there was an underlying meaning in his words.

"Well, isn't that just so sweet of you?" She sniped at him with irritation in her voice. "Just...leave me alone for a minute, OK? It's a lot to process." Brock's smile faded as he took a few quick steps towards her.

"You may be the boss' daughter, but that doesn't give you the right to bark orders." He towered over her, a menacing look on his face. "I'm your superior, little girl."

"You'd only be my superior if I was a part of the combat team, which is what I'm guessing is your area of expertise." Madeline stood up and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Brock was taller and obviously stronger. But she wasn't going to let him intimidate her and make her feel scared. "Last I checked, I was here to help out the medical team."

"Which take orders from the strike team." Brock smirked.

"Then why aren't you out there giving them the orders? Why is it _my dad_ they're listing to?" Madeline shot back. Again, Brock's confidence seemed to fade like the smirk from his lips. He opened his mouth to speak, but another voice from the doorway interrupted him.

"Come on, Rumlow. Leave her alone." Madeline and Brock both turned their attention to the doorway. The man she had seen call Rumlow over from earlier was standing there. He had a smile on his face. Almost like he was more amused at the scene, than showing some sort of concern for Madeline's situation. "There'll be time for that later."

"Excuse me?" Madeline interjected as she put her hands on her hips. Rumlow smirked again and faced the young girl.

"Don't worry about it. Just putting the new guys through the wringer." Rumlow replied. "Can't take it easy on you just because you're the boss' daughter, you know?" Madeline felt a wave of uneasiness wash over her. There was something about the way he said it that made her stomach twist into knots.

"Why don't you just run along and play with each others guns." Madeline suggested, putting her hands on her hips. Despite being outnumbered, very much overpowered, and on the verge of have a panic attack, she didn't want the two of them to think they had any power over her. The man in the doorway chuckled, but she saw Brock's jaw tense.

"Come on, Rumlow. Let's leave her be." He said. Brock stared down at Madeline. His eyes boring holes right through her before he turned on his heel and headed towards the door. Madeline watched him as he went. Suddenly, he stopped and looked over her shoulder at her.

"You'd do well on my team. I look forward to seeing more of you." He smiled. Madeline rolled her eyes and scoffed.

 _Not gonna happen..._ She thought with irritation. Brock turned and left the room. The other man nodded at her and smiled before following him. Once they had left, Madeline sat back down on the bed and shook her head. Brock's friend didn't seem as interested in giving her a hard time as Brock did, but it was still a little too early to tell.

"There you are, Maddie." The voice of her father cut through her thoughts and she jerked her head up to see him standing in the doorway.

"Oh... Hey, dad." She replied as she stood up and walked over to him. "I'm sorry. I just...needed a minute." She apologized and tucked her hair behind her ears.

"You were gone for ten minutes. I was worried." He said as he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "You OK?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Just...wasn't really, umm...expecting anything like that." Madeline nodded as her father released her. _Ten minutes? I must have zoned out..._ She chewed on the inside of her lip.

"I have to admit. I'm impressed. Most people usually faint when they see the Asset being wiped for the first time. It's the shock." Her father smiled at her. "You're just like your old man." He chuckled. Madeline laughed softly, only half-heartedly.

"Only with more estrogen." She smirked, putting on a bit of a show to cover up her discomfort about everything that had just happened.

"Sarcasm... Now that was your mother's strong suit." He smiled as he guided her out of the room, and back to where the man they called "the Asset" was.

Thankfully, they seemed to be done torturing him. Her father headed off to talk to a small group of people. Madeline stood off to the side and watched the man in the chair. His chest was still heaving up and down as he tried to catch his breath. He leaned forward, unrestrained, and stared blankly ahead. His hair was matted to his face and his skin was drenched with sweat.

Madeline watched as various members of the medical team gathered around him. One man wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his non-bionic arm and began to take his vitals. A woman moved around him and began listening to his heartbeat through a stethoscope. Another man took a small pen light and began shining the light in his eyes.

"Vitals are stable, Sir." The woman stated after a few moments.

"Good. Put him in a cell. We'll need him soon." Pierce replied. The medical team stepped away and, what Madeline assumed to be, the strike team took their place. Brock was with them, so it was a safe bet. He also seemed to be the one in charge.

"Get up. Time to move." Brock ordered him. Slowly, the man rose to his feet and began to move. His movement was stiff and rigid, just like a military officer. His eyes stared blankly ahead as he was escorted out. Two men were behind him, two men flanked his sides, and two men lead him forward. Madeline stared at him as he walked by.

For a brief moment, his gaze diverted. His eyes locked onto hers, then quickly snapped forward again. A chill swept over her and she wrapped her arms around herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Madeline woke up suddenly by a loud bang. Her eyes snapped open and she immediately shielded them with her forearm. She groaned softly, but kept her eyes open slightly to accustom herself to the light. She heard voices coming from somewhere and they were getting louder. Her eyes finally adjusted to the light, and it took her a minute to realize where she was.

 _How the hell did I manage to fall asleep here?_ She wondered as she stood up from the bed of the cell she had wandered back to. Tentatively, Madeline poked her head out of the doorway. Coming down the hallway, she saw the strike team. No doubt, the Asset was with them if their formation meant anything. Brock was leading them and noticed her as they walked by.

"Let's go, Sleeping Beauty." He chided her as the group walked past. Madeline rolled her eyes, but followed behind them. Albeit, a few feet away. The group headed down the hall until they entered into the main room that held the, what Madeline now dubbed, "torture chair". The strike team disbanded, leaving the Asset standing in the center of the room. Madeline stood by the entryway and leaned against the wall.

"Sit down." Brock demanded harshly. The soldier turned his back to the chair, and lowered himself down. He stared blankly ahead at the entryway, waiting for further instruction. Madeline found her gaze fixated on the dried blood that trailed out of the corner of his mouth.

"Доклад миссии." A voice from behind Madeline rasped. She jumped in surprise as she turned her head and saw two men walking towards the soldier. One man was her father, but the other one looked like some kind of military man. He was dressed in a military outfit, but Madeline didn't know enough about the military to guess what his position was.

"Целевая задача устранена." The soldier replied, his gaze never diverted; he never made eye contact. He just stared straight ahead, unblinking. The sight of it unnerved Madeline a bit. Once she regained her composure, it registered in her brain that they were speaking another language. She made eye contact with her father, and he nodded slightly as if to say "we'll talk in a bit".

"Good work." Pierce said. Madeline's eyes shifted from the soldier, to her father, and back again.

 _Since when does dad understand...what language is that? Ukrainian? Romanian? Russian?_ The night was beginning to overwhelm her and her shoulders felt heavy and tense. She wondered if every night would be like this. She wondered what she had gotten herself into... But if her dad could do it, then so could she. ...Couldn't she?

"You know what to do." Her father stared at Brock, causing the man to nod ever so slightly in response.

"Get up." Brock said harshly as he motioned at the man with some kind of nightstick in his hand. The man stood up quietly and the strike team surrounded him again. They began to lead him out of the room.

"Wait!" Madeline felt the words spill from her lips before she could stop them. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face her. Except for the soldier.

"Maddie? What's the matter?" Her father asked, giving her a look of disapproval. Madeline bit her lip and looked down for a brief moment.

"Sorry, dad." She apologized as she took a few tentative steps towards the men surrounding the soldier. "But he's bleeding. Shouldn't he be checked out by the medical team?" Her eyes fixated on the soldier.

A woman from the medical team approached the strike team and two of the men stepped aside to allow her access to the Asset. She placed her hands on the sides of his face and gently pressed around the area of his jaw line. After a moment, she turned to Pierce and nodded.

"Minor jaw fracture, Sir." She stated. Pierce nodded to the strike team, and they led the soldier down the hallway. Madeline looked down, feeling like she had done something wrong. After a few moments, she looked up and saw her father smiling at her.

"Dad?" She asked, fidgeting with her fingers with uneasiness.

"You did good, Maddie." He said proudly. Madeline furrowed her brows. "Wanted to make sure you knew what to look for when you start working on him."

"You were testing me?" She asked in shock. "What if he had been seriously hurt, dad?!" Her voice raised. Her dad quickly walked over to her and grabbed hold of her arm to guide her into one of the holding cell rooms.

"Maddie," he began, letting go of her arm, "at home, I'm your father. But here, I'm your boss. I love you, hon. But leave your emotions at home for this job." He instructed her. His tone was strict, but his eyes were soft.

"I'm sorry, dad... It's just all so overwhelming." She looked down sadly. Her emotions were coming in waves, and she kind of just wanted to go back to sleep to help process everything.

"Don't worry, Maddie-bear. I'll give you a little leeway. But don't tell anyone." He smiled and hugged her lightly.

"I'll do my best." She looked up at him as he let her go.

"I know you will." He nodded. There was a brief pause. "One more thing." Madeline tilted her head to the side. "You're going to need to learn Russian."

* * *

Three years had passed since that night, and Madeline was still pretty much just as in the dark as when she had started. The only things that really changed, were the fact that everyone was three years older and she was fairly competent in speaking Russian.

Well, she also had her own house. Technically, it was a ranch house that was owned by the company her dad was the boss of. It hadn't been used in years, but was kept in working order. Madeline had spent the better part of a weekend fixing it up and giving it some TLC. It was about thirty minutes away from town, but Madeline actually liked it. She could see the stars at night, and the quiet was so nice. Especially after a long day at work.

"Hey mom." Madeline said as she sat on the back porch with a glass of water. She stared up at the stars. "I miss you." Her voice cracked as she spoke, and she took a sip of water. "I wish you could see me now. I've been working with dad for the past three years." She smiled at the stars. "I'm also in college. Or rather I'm finishing up. Just a few more classes until I get my bachelor's in nursing!" Madeline waved her hands in the air and laughed softly.

"You'd be so proud of me..." She sighed and looked down at the ground. She could feel the tears starting to well up in her eyes. "Where did you go? Why did you leave?" Madeline brought her gaze back up to the sky. "Wherever you are... I hope you know that I still love you. I'm not mad at you for leaving." She let out a long, heavy sigh.

Madeline stood up and took a long drink from her glass before heading back inside. She locked the door behind her and put her glass in the sink in the kitchen. Her gaze wandered around the kitchen, and fell to the framed portrait on the far wall. Madeline walked over and stared at it. It was a family picture; the only family picture that she had.

Madeline, her father, and her mother. She was a beautiful woman. Madeline's father would always tell her about how she looked so much like her. Except for the fact that her hair was a little lighter than her mother's. Her mother had dark brown, almost black, hair, piercing green eyes, and a...rather curvy figure. Madeline used to get made fun of in grade school because people saw her as "fat". It wasn't until she hit puberty that she filled out and everything looked different.

It had been eighteen years since her mother left. Madeline was just three years old, and she didn't remember anything really. Her dad would tell her stories when she would lie in bed. However, looking at the picture now... Madeline couldn't remember any of the stories. She was just too overwhelmed by the crushing loneliness she was feeling. She missed her mom. That was it.

Madeline stared at the photo for a few minutes before heading to bed.

That night, Madeline had a fitful night's sleep. She tossed and turned in bed, waking up every so often, and had dreams that seemed so real and vivid that every time she woke up she had to catch her breath and calm herself.

At some point, Madeline bolted up in bed. Her breathing was heavy, and sweat made her hair cling to her skin. She looked around the room, realizing again that she was safe in her bed. Her mind was racing and she knew she had just had a nightmare. Trouble was, she couldn't remember anything about it. The harder she tried, the more it slipped away.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" She wondered aloud in frustration as she got up out of bed. It was quarter after three in the morning and Madeline sighed before she headed into the kitchen.

The soft glow from the light over top of the stove provided Madeline with enough illumination that she didn't need to blind herself with the main light. She walked over to the cabinet, grabbed a glass and filled it with cold water from the tap. Without hesitation, she down the entire glass and took several deep breaths. She filled up the glass again and turned around to head back to bed, but stopped in her tracks.

There, in the doorway, was the silhouette of a person. Madeline felt her heart pounding in her chest. Her mouth went dry as she clutched the glass in her hand. Nothing happened for what felt like hours; they just stared at each other. Finally, Madeline found her voice.

"Wh-Who are you?" Her voice cracked with fear. Naturally, the figure didn't respond. It just stood there. "What do you want?" She asked, not expecting an answer. However, Madeline thought that if she asked it questions, she could buy time to figure out a plan.

"Madeline..." The person said. Its sudden speech started her, and she jumped back in fright. The glass in her hand slipped and fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. Madeline looked down at the broken glass, then snapped her attention back to the figure in the doorway.

But there was no one there.

Madeline woke up in a sweat, her hair clinging to her chest and face. She was breathing heavily as her eyes scanned the room. The morning sun was shining brightly through the window and, for a moment, the young girl was confused.

"A...dream...?" She wondered as she reached up and pulled strands of hair off her face and chest. _But it felt so real..._ Madeline got out of bed and headed into the bathroom to wash her face. She looked at her reflection and sighed. She faintly heard beeping from the kitchen.

 _Get some tea, Maddie. Get some tea and just relax._ She told herself.

Madeline couldn't help the weird feeling she felt as she walked into the kitchen. The strange dream she had was still fresh in her mind. She did her best to push the thoughts out of her head as she made her way toward the cupboard.

"Ahh! Christ!" Madeline hissed in pain. She lifted her foot off the floor and pulled out a chair from the kitchen table. She sat down and rested her foot on her knee. Gingerly, she reached down and pulled something out of the ball of her foot.

Glass; stained red with a bit of blood. Madeline gasped and dropped the shard on the floor as if it had just scaled her. She jumped up from the chair and looked towards the middle of the floor.

Pieces of shattered glass were scattered on the floor.

* * *

Доклад миссии. - Mission report.  
Целевая задача устранена. - Target eliminated.


	4. Chapter 4

Madeline stared at the glass on the floor, her mouth agape in shock and confusion.

 _But...But that was a dream! ...Right?_ She ignored the pain in her foot as she walked to the back door to see if it was still locked. When she saw that it was, she made her way to the front door. It was locked as well. She found herself in the kitchen, just staring at the broken glass in disbelief. It was only when her cell phone rang, did she tear her eyes away.

"Hello?" She answered as if nothing was wrong.

"We need you to come in today." The voice on the other end said. For a moment, Madeline was caught off guard. It took her a few seconds to recognize the caller; William Davis from work.

"Uh, yeah. I can...I can be there." Madeline rubbed her temple.

"How long?" William asked. All business, as usual.

"I don't know. An hour?" She replied with a shrug.

"An hour. I'll give you an extra ten minutes grace. We both know punctuality is not your strong suit." Came his curt reply.

"William, you do realize I live out in the 'sticks'. You really have to be more flexible for me." Madeline sighed heavily.

"Madeline, if anything, I should be harder on you because you're the boss' daughter." He shot back. Madeline felt her jaw drop. She couldn't stand it when people used that against her.

"You better watch yourself. You forget that I could have you fired for sexual harassment if you so much as look at me wrong." Madeline hissed, her temper flaring up. There was a few moments of silence.

"See you in seventy-five minutes, Madeline." The line went dead. Madeline rolled her eyes and set her phone down.

"Fucking prick..." She mumbled and shook her head. _Five extra minutes... How nice of him._ Madeline rolled her eyes, then quickly got in the shower. Once she was done, she headed into her room and got dressed. Her thoughts wandered back to the broken glass in the kitchen, and the dream... That wasn't a dream? The whole situation confused her.

 _Maybe I was sleep-walking? That happens to people._ Madeline reasoned with herself. _That has to be it. I was sleep-walking. Nothing else could possibly make sense._ The more she told herself that she had a sleep-walking episode, the more she started to believe it. Though there was a tiny part of her that wasn't convinced at all.

Madeline made her way out the door, making sure to lock it before she got in her car. She put the key in the ignition and turned the engine over. After she checked her mirrors, she brought her attention back to the front. Something on the side of the house caught her attention.

"What the hell?" Madeline whispered as she got out of the car and headed towards the house. There was a rosebush right outside her bedroom window, and it looked like someone had pushed past it. She swallowed nervously as she got closer. The dirt right outside the window had the clear imprints of a pair of shoes. The realization that someone had been watching her made her stomach twist into knots.

Madeline turned on her heel and raced back to her car. She shut the door and couldn't press the door lock button fast enough. Her eyes were glued to the rose bush as her mind raced with questions; how long had she been being watched, why was someone watching her, what had they seen, _who_ was watching her...

She put the car in reverse, backed out of the driveway, then put it in drive and slammed her foot down on the accelerator. The sooner she got away from her house, the better she would feel. At least that's what she told herself. However, the creepy scene stuck with her the whole drive to work. Even when she stepped through the main doors, she still couldn't shake the creeped out feeling.

 _Maybe it's just some weirdo wandering around..._ Madeline tried to reason the weird away again.

"Madeline! So glad you could be here on time." A voice called out to her. She turned her attention towards the man coming down a side hallway.

"Don't even, Will." She groaned. "This was supposed to be my day off." She kept walking, forcing him to keep up with her.

"And I thank you ever so much for obliging my request." He replied. His voice dripping with fake sincerity. Madeline gritted her teeth. "The medical team is one short today," he explained, "so I'm really doing you a favor by giving you some overtime. You should be thanking me." His arrogance drove Madeline up the fucking wall.

"Look Will," Madeline stopped and turned to face him, "I don't know what your problem is. Whether you think being a complete dick to me will make me like you? Or if you hate me because I'm Pierce's daughter? Or if you just have an attitude with every single person here?" She pointed at him angrily as she spoke. "But if you don't fucking _quit it_ , I will tell everyone that works here that I caught you jerking off to scat porn in the janitor's closet!" Her heart was pounding in her chest. She had never done anything like that before; telling someone off. It felt...relieving. Especially considering who was on the receiving end.

"I...That's..." Will stammered and his face went pale white. "You... You wouldn't!" He whispered urgently.

"Oh, I would." Madeline quickly corrected him. She stared at him, narrowing her eyes and keeping her face emotionless.

"Erm... I..." For the first time since she had met him, Will was completely at a loss for what to say. "H-Have a good day, Madeline." He backed up a few steps before turning around and heading back to...wherever he had come from.

"You too, Will!" She called out happily, plastering a wide smile on her lips. She watched him disappear, then turned and started heading for the elevator at the end of the hall. She took it all the way down to the lowest basement level, then stepped out. The familiar slightly musty smell worked its way into her nose as she headed down the hall. She had just made her way through the door at the end when another familiar voice called out to her.

"Miss Madeline..." She groaned inside as the door shut behind her.

"What do you want, Brock?" He smiled as he made his way towards her.

"To what do we owe the _pleasure_ of your presence?" He asked, clearly giving her a hard time. Like with Will, she continued to head down the hall as Brock walked beside her.

"Well, _clearly_ I had nothing better to do on my day off than spend it here with you and your goons." Madeline replied sarcastically, shooting him a fake smile. Brock smirked.

"I'm sure my goons will be happy to hear that, sweetheart." Even after three years, Madeline still hated the little pet names he would give her. It was creepy. She breathed a sigh of relief once she was around a few of the other medical personnel.

"Hey Dana. What's on the agenda for today?" Madeline made it a point to ignore Brock as she addressed the woman in charge.

"Good. You're here." Dana briefly glanced up at Madeline before looking back down at the computer screen. "We're heading to another floor. Just waiting for you." She rapidly typed something before quickly standing up and leading the way. Madeline quickly followed behind her.

"Be seeing you later, Madeline." Brock called out to her. Madeline rolled her eyes and didn't bother looking back.

"What's the situation?" She asked once the elevator doors closed.

"The asset was on a mission, but it didn't go to plan." Dana replied, not taking her eyes off the doors. Madeline looked at her in surprise. In all her time of working with - and on - the soldier, she had never heard of something like that happening. His missions _always_ went smoothly. What happened during this one?

"That's...new..." Was all she could think to say. Dana nodded and the doors opened. Madeline stepped out behind Dana and watched as she punched in a pass code to open the door at the end of the hallway. Madeline entered the room after Dana, and stopped to take in the scene in front of her.

The soldier was sitting in a chair as several people crowded around him. A few people were monitoring different screens, no doubt reading his vitals. One man was working on his bionic arm. Madeline could only assume that he was making repairs. A woman stepped aside, and Madeline had to cover her mouth in surprise.

The poor soldier - no, _man_ \- had wounds on his face and chest. His lip was busted and blood ran down his chin. There were a few lacerations to his face, but they looked superficial. The wound that especially worried Madeline, was the obvious bullet wound to the shoulder. Blood seeped from the hole, and she wondered how much it hurt. He sure wasn't showing and signs of distress. ...But then, he never did.

Madeline quickly washed her hands in a nearby sink, then wasted no time hurrying over to him and checking him out. A few of the less experienced team members moved out of the way to give her room to work. She gently moved her fingers over the lacerations on his face. She was right in believing they were superficial. They would heal in no time. He sat as still as a mannequin, not even flinching when Madeline grabbed a gauze pad and put a bit of hydrogen peroxide on it to clean the wound on his lip.

"Бедный человек..." Madeline whispered softly to herself. That's when he locked his eyes on her. The young girl swallowed nervously, but continued her work. It was odd, and nerve-wracking, the way his eyes followed her as she moved. He had never done anything like that before. She wondered if it meant something. Maybe she had done something wrong, and he knew it?

"Dana. I need the cauterizer and a pair of forceps." Madeline looked over her shoulder and called out. "I have to get the bullet out and stop the bleeding." Dana disappeared for a second, then came back into view with a tray on a small table with wheels. Everything Madeline would need to treat the wound was on the tray. She nodded at Dana, a silent thank you. She grabbed the forceps first and hovered just above his wound.

"Мне жаль." Madeline whispered again. This time, she had wanted him to hear it. He just stared at her, waiting for her to continue. She took a deep breath, then pushed the instrument into the wound. Luckily, the bullet wasn't too deep inside. However, she did notice him squeeze both his hands into fists as she poked around in his wound. Once she found the bullet, she pulled it out as quickly as she could without hurting him more. She dropped the bullet and forceps into a small metal basin before grabbing some more gauze in one hand and the cauterizer in the other.

She pressed the gauze onto the wound to soak up the fresh blood that started leaking out. The wounded man relaxed his fists, but still didn't take his eyes off Madeline. She found herself repeatedly glancing at him, wondering why he wouldn't stop staring at her. It didn't creep her out, like when Brock did it. It more so made her nervous, but also curious, because his expression was just so blank. He was unreadable; a mystery. One thing she was certain about; he didn't want to kill her. If he really wanted to, he could have done it several times over already.

Madeline turned on the cauterizer and began to stem the bleeding. The man squeezed his hands into fists again, and made no sound. The smell of slightly burning skin assaulted her nose, but she did her best to ignore it. After what seemed like no time at all, the bleeding had stopped and the wound was sufficiently closed to Madeline's standards. She set the instrument down on the tray and took another good look at the wound to make sure she didn't miss anything.

"Make sure that wound stays clean before...they put him..." Madeline trailed off as she met his eyes again. How could they do that to him, over and over again? Surely there had to be some kind of negative long-term effects on him. Was no one concerned about that? The door behind her opened, and Madeline turned to see part of the strike team entering the room. She turned back towards the wounded man and rolled her eyes. _Of course_ Brock was with them. Why wouldn't he be?

"Are we all done here?" He asked. Madeline stepped aside.

"Yes." She replied. "The wounds to his face are superficial, and should heal in no time. The bullet is out and I've cauterized the wound. It just needs to stay clean until he's...put back." She explained. Brock shot her a knowing smirk, which Madeline ignored. The man in the chair glanced quickly between the two of them.

"Get up. Time to go." Rumlow instructed him. The man stood up, and the rest of the medical team seemed to jump back to give him room. Except for Madeline. She watched as the strike team took him away. Once they disappeared through the door, she walked over to Dana.

"What happened to him? I've never seen him like that before." She asked. Dana shrugged without looking up from her paperwork.

"Why do you ask?" She inquired. Madeline shrugged one shoulder.

"I'm just...curious. Like I said, I've never seen him like that before. Missions are usually a piece of cake for him." She replied.

"I don't know, Madeline." Dana said, finally looking up at her. "And, if we're being honest, I really don't care." Her words shock Madeline, and her jaw dropped. "The pay for the job is good, and I just do what I'm told so I can get the money. Why are you so interested all of a sudden?"

"I...I don't know." Madeline admitted. "I'm sorry. I'm not feeling like myself today. I had a bad night's sleep." She apologized. Dana nodded to say she understood.

"Well, I doubt you'll be needed anymore today. Why don't you head back home and get some rest?" Dana suggested as she stood up from her chair.

"That sounds like a good idea." Madeline agreed.

"Good. I'll see you later." Dana replied as she led Madeline back out to the elevator. Once the doors shut, Madeline hung her head and sighed heavily.

"This day..." She breathed. "What next?"

The ride home was uneventful, thankfully. Madeline sped down the back road and pulled into the driveway. She killed the engine, and just sat in the driver's seat. As she stepped out of the car, she could feel herself getting apprehensive. The weird "dream" last night, and the fact that someone had recently been watching her... She wanted to just get back in the car and head to a hotel for the night.

 _No. I'm not gonna let some weird crap get to me._ She resolved as she headed up the walkway. She stepped up on the porch and grabbed the mail from the mailbox before unlocking the door and heading inside.

"Trash...trash...circular..." Madeline combed through the mail after she set her keys down. The very last piece of mail in the pile caught her attention. It had no return address, and no post markings. It looked like it was hand-delivered by whomever wrote it. The only writing on the front was Madeline's name. Judging by the beautiful cursive writing, she assumed it was from a woman.

"Strange..." She whispered. She opened up the envelope and pulled out the lone piece of paper that was inside. The writing made her breath hitch in her throat.

 _See you soon._  
 _Love,_  
 _Mom_

* * *

Бедный человек... - Poor man...

Мне жаль. - I'm sorry.


End file.
